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by iluvtodance
Summary: After two years apart, Margo and Quentin reunite. Set after the book's ending. MargoxQuentin. One shot.


**Disclaimer:** _ **Paper Towns**_ **and its characters all belong to John Green. Just having fun imagining a what if…after the book's ending.**

Quentin stood in front of gate 26 at Logan International Airport, staring so hard at the numbers that they started to dance around as his eyes began to play tricks on him _. Any moment, she'll be here._ The thought lingered in the back of his mind as he gripped the small bouquet of flowers he bought from a vendor at the airport. The thought of how corny it would be for him to be waiting for Margo Roth Spiegelman with flowers definitely crossed his mind one or twenty times. But, Quentin found himself not caring. All he could focus on is the fact that she decided to come back home. Not home in Florida but to him.

It's been two years since Quentin and Margo parted ways in Algoe, NY, and Quentin hasn't been able to get her out of his mind. Now entering his junior year at Boston University, Quentin has held onto his affection for Margo all these years—even being able to wait patiently for the day she would return. Today was that day, and he couldn't have been more excited and relieved. The two never broke contact during these two years; instead, their bond strengthened through constant emails detailing their individual adventures. Margo heard all about his new life in Boston, his struggle over finding the right major, and the new friends he made. Likewise, Quentin learned about Margo's life in NYC. How she worked three random jobs over the years—the first as a waitress at a diner in Brooklyn, the second as a nanny to a rich family living in the upper West side of Manhattan, and finally as a personal assistant to an eccentric artist who refused to be interviewed. Only Margo's words about her work, which were posted on the artist's website, gave the public insight into the esoteric figure, and Margo truly was the right person for that job.

Both Quentin and Margo kept in touch about everything and anything—except any new relationships that occurred during their time apart. Quentin never mentioned the few girls he tried to date, and he never admitted to Margo why none of the relationships lasted more than three months. Similarly, Margo never mentioned her own dating life. For all Quentin knew, she could have been dating an upcoming artist her boss introduced her to at a gallery opening or maybe she fell for the owner of one of the city's most popular nightclubs and danced almost every night until she forgot—at least for a moment—about Quentin's existence. Regardless if any of it were true, neither he nor Margo felt it was right to talk about finding someone else even if the possibility of them having a real chance together was impossible. Maybe, like him, Margo couldn't bear the thought of realizing they could never be, so their conversations never dared to approach the topic. They just exchanged banter filled conversations with a subtle, hopeful promise of fidelity—they could never truly let go of one another.

So here was. Standing in the middle of a crowded airport, heart pounding against his chest, and hand gripping the flowers for dear life as flight 147 from NYC made its arrival. He waited with bated breath as people began filing out of the terminal, his eyes scanning the crowd desperately for Margo. When he finally spotted her—a head full of chestnut hair that barely reached her shoulders, a pair of eyes skimming the crowds desperately for him as her high top converse squeaked across the floor—he finally felt the air escape his lungs and he could only wait to see her next move once she finally laid eyes on him.

Quentin's heart spiked in his chest at the affectionate smile peeking from her lips, while she began to dodge around random travelers in order to reach him faster. When she finally made it, she abruptly stopped a good distance from him, her lips still turned up into a small smile. Quentin noticed a lone tear that trickled down her face despite her smile, and he had to stop himself from launching himself at her.

"Hi," he whispered without breaking eye contact.

"Ninja," she responded affectionately, while quickly wiping her tear away. Her eyes searched his own. "Still being confident?"

Quentin couldn't fight the genuine smile that graced his face when he heard her familiar, joking tone. He simply lifted the flowers and offered them to her. "Of course." His smile grew wider as he watched her face light up at the gift. She cradled the flowers in her arms and lifted them up to her nose, inhaling the sweet aroma of the wildflowers.

"They're beautiful," she whispered.

"Like you," he responded genuinely. He watched Margo focus her attention on him, eyes bearing into his own with an intensity he hasn't seen anyone use, at least directed at him, ever.

Not being able to resist any longer, he moved forward to capture her in a snug embrace, which she returned wholeheartedly. After a while, she stood on her tip-toes to make up for their height difference, snuggling even closer to him. "I missed you," she confessed, her voice muffled.

Quentin tightened his grip around her waist before answering, "I missed you more."

He could hear Margo's soft laughter echoing in his ear. "Not possible, Q."

"Totally possible," he replied easily. Pulling away, he made eye contact with her again. "I'm glad you're here."

Margo nodded, "Me too." She turned her head from side to side as if she were looking for something. "Is it just us? Or did you bring your girlfriend with you?"

Quentin frowned before cracking up into a fit laughter. He saw the teasing expression in Margo's eyes yet noticed her mouth was set in a straight line. She was serious. "I uh...no girlfriend. I don't have one," he fumbled nervously. When he saw her face break out into a mischievous smile, he couldn't help but repeat her earlier actions and scan the surroundings. "How about you? Is there someone watching us right now ready to beat me up?"

Margo watched him, a smirk on her face. "Nope. No one besides me who could totally take you in a fight by the way." She giggled when Quentin met her eyes, a look of shock on his face.

"What? All this time apart and this is how you speak to me?" He pouted, trying to mask his smile. "Margo Roth Spiegelman, I am offended."

Margo reached up to pat his face gently, "Aw. I'm sorry." She cooed at him, grinning when he rolled his eyes playfully at her. "I'd never do it though." When Quentin shot her a questioning look, she continued. "Beat you up. Your face is too adorable and I like you too much. You're safe."

Quentin sighed, "That's a relief." He tucked a piece of her short hair behind her ear, allowing his fingers to linger against her cheek. "Did I mention how happy I am to see you?"

Margo leaned into his touch, covering the hand that held her cheek with her own. "I think so," she mumbled. "I didn't though." She turned slightly to kiss the palm of his hand, "I'm happy to see you Q." She smiled at him before standing on her toes and pressing her lips against his.

Quentin inhaled sharply once their lips met, pulling her even closer to him as he returned the affectionate kiss. They stood there, in the middle of the airport, making up for lost time. Quentin finally knew that he wasn't just pining for Margo from afar like he had his whole life. She returned his feelings. They weren't one dimensional, ideal, misunderstood versions of themselves to each other anymore. He felt her skin against his, saw her flaws, and was finally able to embrace his true feelings for her. It was real.

Margo was the first to pull away. Biting her flushed lip, she smirked at him while nudging her nose against his chin. "It's good to be home."

Her words sparked a huge smile from him. "So you'll be sticking around for a while? It's not just a visit until you go back to Florida?"

Margo's smile faltered, her hand tugging at his short, dark hair. "What about Florida? That's not home."

Quentin frowned, his confusion obvious to Margo. She sighed before placing a lingering kiss against his lips and stepped away to grab her duffle bag. "I'm staying with you. I don't want to be apart anymore." She couldn't meet his eyes as she admitted this, her eyes dropping to the flowers in her hands. "Plus, I need a new location for writing inspiration. Boston is most definitely not made out of paper." She shot him a smirk as she walked away.

It took Quentin a moment to fully process her words, but when he finally did, he couldn't contain his excitement.

Margo smiled brightly when she felt a pair of arms warp around her stomach and a genuinely happy voice in her ear, "You mean it?"

She rested her hands over Quentin's, interlacing their fingers together. "Yes," she promised. She squealed when Quentin lifted her into the air, repeatedly exclaiming "no way" over and over again. She turned around, silencing him with a kiss that he returned. "Way," she joked after they pulled apart.

With a huge grin on his face, Quentin kept one arm wrapped around her waist and continued to walk through the airport with her by his side. "I can't wait to show you the city. You'll love the Commons, the aquarium, Prudential Center..." He leaned forward to kiss her temple. "You'll love everything. You might not want to go back to New York ever again."

Margo rolled her eyes, nudging him gently in the stomach. "Like I said, I'm done with New York for a while. My boyfriend is in Boston anyway."

Quentin's eyebrows rose at the title. He almost pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Did Margo Roth Spiegelman refer to me as her boyfriend?" He asked dreamily. His old school crush and long time affection for her surfaced in that moment, showing his inability to believe it all.

Margo sighed, "That's not the right question." She steered them to the side of the airport, away from the crowds rushing towards the exit. "The real question is will Quentin Jacobsen allow me to be his girlfriend?" Releasing a shaky breath, Margo rested her hands against Quentin's chest. "You spent so much time dreaming about me when in reality I was never worthy. But I'm hoping you'll give me a chance anyway."

Quentin could barely come up with a coherent response to her statement. "Are you kidding me?"

With a serious expression, Margo persisted. "Nope." She dropped to one knee, holding the flowers Quentin gave to her against her chest. "Quentin Jacobsen, will you do me the honor of becoming my boyfriend? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, and perhaps law breaking? Forever and ever until the zombie apocalypse?"

Quentin grinned, stifling a laugh at the small crowd that had gathered around them, truly thinking she was proposing to him. "Do you even have to ask?" He held out his hand, "Come here," he beckoned.

"Not until you say yes to me, mister." Margo smiled at his flushed cheeks.

"Yes," he announced with his arms raised.

Margo lifted her own arms, expressing her happiness, "YES!" She jumped up and faced the audience that gathered, "He said yes!" The audience fell into an enthusiastic applause as Quentin wrapped his arms around Margo, pressing his lips against her neck before whispering in her ear, "You are crazy, Spiegelman."

Margo whipped around, " Crazy for you, Jacobsen. Just for you." She smiled ecstatically at him, before closing the distance between them. She kept smiling through the kiss, kissing him harder when she heard Quentin mumble something against her lips. "Hmm?" She pulled away slightly, waiting for him to repeat the words.

Quentin cupped her cheek, "I love you. So much."

Margo kisses his nose, returning the words without any hesitance. "I love you. I'm glad to be home."

They shared one more smile before Quentin grabbed her duffle bag, slinging it across his shoulder, and holding out his hand. "Shall we?"

Margo placed her hand in his, interlocking their fingers together, "We shall. Where to first, my cute little ninja?"

Quentin smiled, "Everywhere."

Margo grinned, "That's what I like to hear." She presses her lips against his shoulder before resting her head there. The two of them walked hand in hand towards the exit and onto their next adventure. Together.

 **A/N: I really wanted to write something inspired by the ending of the book. John Green did such a great job at leaving it open ended, and so I imagined that eventually—after some time apart forging their own path in life—Margo and Quentin would find a way back to one another and try a relationship for real. Hope everyone likes this! Thanks for reading!**


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